Clothes-line prop.



W. E. KNODER. CLOTHES LINE PROP. APPLICATION IILBD MAY 6,1910. 7

Patented Apr. 11,1911.

Inventor z/zzz ZZZWQZ;

WILL E. KNODER, OF EVANSTON, WYOMING.

CLOTHES-LINE PROP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed May 6, 1910. Serial No. 559,683.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILL E. KNonnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Uinta and State 5 of Wyoming, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Line Prop, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide, in a simple, merchantable, and inexpensive form, a clothes line prop, which, at the will of the operator, may be extended in length.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothes line prop, consisting of telescoped members which are locked together in a novel and improved manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device, for a clothes prop consisting of telescoped parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking bail for a clothes prop, and to provide a spring for actuating the bail, the spring, at the same time, serving as a means for holding the ends of the bail together.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for retaining the clothes line within the hold of the prop.

The drawings show typical embodiments 3O merely, as it is to be understood that changes,

properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, may be made, without depart ing from the spirit of the invention.

I11 the accompanying drawings,-Figure 35 '1 shows the invention in perspective, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a detail perspective of the upper end of the prop; Fig.

3 is a transverse section of the outer member of the prop, the locking bail being shown in elevation; and Fig. 4 is a fragmental rear elevation of the outer member of the prop.

The clothes prop forming the subject matter of this application, is a telescoping structure, comprising an outer member 1, point- 45 ed at its lower end, as denoted by the number 2, for insertion into the ground. In the outer member 1 there is a longitudinally extended groove 3, defining side walls 4 in the outer member. In this groove 3, be- 50 tween the side walls 4, the inner member 5 of the prop is adapted to slide. The outer member 1 is surrounded, at spaced points, by bands 6, the extremities of which extend partly across the groove 3, so as to hold 55 the inner member 5 in place for sliding movement. The inner member 5 carries adjacent its lower end, a handle 7, whereby the said member may be slid upwardly and downwardly. At spaced points along one face of the inner member 5, there are notches, defining shoulders 8. In the edges of the side walls 4 of the outer member 1,

there are transversely disposed, oppositely positioned notches 9.

Guides 10 are inserted into the opposite side faces of the outer member 1, and in these guides is mounted, slidably, for movement transversely of the prop, a bail 11, the ends 12 of which are bent to form loopshaped projections 14. The ends 12 of the bail 11 are overlapped upon each other at the rear of the outer member 1, and the projections 14 are brought into alinement. A helical compression spring 15 is seated at one end in a recess 16 in the rear face of the outer member 1. The projections 14 of the ends 12 of the bail 11 fit in the other end of this spring 15, the extremity 17 of the spring being bent to extend across the outer end of the spring, and to register in the projections 14, as seen at 17.

Secured to the upper end of the inner member 5, and carried across the upper end thereof, is a binding plate 18. In one edge of the inner member 5, there is a notch 19, and an arm 20 is pivoted at one end upon the binding plate 18 and upon the inner member 5. This arm 20 is adapted to extend across the notch 19, so as to hold the clothes line in the notch. At its free end, the arm 20 is provided upon its opposite edges, with oppositely projecting flanges 21 and 22. One of these flanges (21), is adapted to bear against the side face of the inner member 5, to position the arm 20 across the notch 19, while the other flange 22 outstands from the inner member, constituting a finger-hold, whereby the arm 20 may be swung to cover and to uncover the notch 19.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the projections 14 upon the arms 12 of the bail 11 fit within the outer end of the spring 15, and thus the spring serves as a means for holding the ends of the bail together. the spring is bent, as at 17, to engage in the projections 14, these projections are securely held in the end of the spring. The spring acts normally to hold the bail l1 engaged in the notches 9 of the outer member 1. When it is desired to lengthen the clothes prop, the inner member 5 is drawn up- Moreover, since the end of wardly, the outer edge face of the inner member 5 being inclined, adjacent the shoulders 8, thereby permitting the inner member 5 to be drawn upward freely, the shoulders 8, however, preventing the inner member 5: from moving downwardly, saving when the spring 15 is compressed, sliding the bail '11 out of engagement with the shoulder 8.

The bail 11 is held for sliding movement transversely of the prop by/means of the guides 10, and also by means of the-spring 15 which, engaging the projections 14:, co operates with the guides 10 to prevent the bail 11 from having a pivotal movement.

By engagingthe flange 22, the arm 20 may belreadily tilted to open the notch 19;

.for the reception of the clothes line, the;

flange 21 serving to hold the arm 20 in a po sition to close the notch 19 and to retain theclothes line in the said notch.

Having thus described the invention, what! is claimed is 1. A clothes line prop consisting of telescoped parts; oppositely disposed guides? upon one of said parts; bail inclosing both, of said parts and slidable in the guides the; bail being adapted to engage the saidparts to hold the same vagainst relative movement and a spring having oneend fixed in one of; said parts, the other end of the spring being interlockedwith the bail, the spring consti-; tuting at once, a means for actuating the bail to interlock with said parts, and a means, cooperating with the guides, to hold the bail -in place forsliding movement in single plane only.

2. A clothes line prop consisting "of telescoped parts; a bail slidably inclosing both of said parts and operative to prevent-relative'movementof said arts; and a compression spring for operating the bail, bearing at one end against one of said parts and having its other end engaged withthe ends of the bail tohold the said ends together.

3. A clothes line prop consistingof tele- 5 scoped parts; a bail inclosing both of said parts and operative to prevent relative movement of the parts; and a helical compression :spring seated at one end in one of saidparts, there being loop-shaped projections in the ends of the bailregistering in the other end 1: of the spring, the extremityof the spring ibeing bent to engage in said loop-shaped projections, to hold the ends of the bail together, and to maintain theprojecticns within-the contour of the spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as any own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Jnssn HATTEN, Rosn GORMAN.

Copies of this patent may be. obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

